Overall, the Center of Excellence for Eliminating Disparities (CEED) is designed to be a trusted, university-wide resource that will expand the capacity and competence of the institution as a leader in research and dissemination of outcomes that address minority health and health disparities through education, training and research and increase the cadre of NIH-funded researchers and students conducting minority health and health disparities research. Within this CEED, the Research Core will focus on four aims: Research Core Specific Aim 1: Advance the conduct of original "cutting edge" transdisciplinary research to improve minority health by successfully implementing two research studies that focus on key issues in disparities: (1) modeling disparities in mortality using prostate and colorectal cancer as exemplars and (2) identifying barriers that contribute to disparities using colorectal cancer as a model. Research Core Project #1: Develop a model of disparities in mortality from prostate and colorectal cancer in the Chicago metropolitan area to conduct a population-based analysis of potential clinical, social, and healthcare-related mechanisms for the mortality disparities. Research Core Project #2: Identify the barriers contributing to the racial/socioeconomic disparities in the colorectal cancer treatment care continuum. Research Core Specific Aim 2: Coordinate ongoing minority health and health disparities research within the CEED and encourage participation from faculty interested in minority and disparities research across the campus. Objective #1: Within the CEED, encourage cross-center interaction around ongoing Research, including center faculty and participants in the Research Training/Education Core. Objective #2: Convene quarterly roundtable meetings and annual colloquia specifically on minority health and health disparities research to showcase new research findings, reviews of methodological issues, meta-analyses of evidence, interventions and data collection, and develop new proposals in minority health and health disparities beyond cancer. Research Core Specific Aim 3: Provide specific training experience for trainees recruited through the Training Core. Objective #1: Coordinate research mentoring and assignment of individuals recruited through the Research Training/Education Core and evaluate their experience in these research situations. Objective #2: Ensure that all trainees attend and participate in the monthly discussion in coordination with the activities of the Research Training/Education Core. Research Core Specific Aim 4: Plan for new research by expanding the research expertise at the CEED that is currently focused on cancer to serve as a model for application to other areas of health disparity and minority health. Objective #1: Develop a cadre of faculty fellows with interest in areas of disparity other than cancer. Objective #2: Provide technical assistance to investigators interested in research addressing minority health and health disparities in the form of study design and statistical support.